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Beijing Olympics 2008

Beijing Olympics

The Olympic City for 2008

The Olympic Games for 2008 were held in Beijing. The dates for the Beijing Olympics were August 8-24 August, 2008.

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were one of the best ever, with amazing venues having been constructed and the most populous country on earth warmly welcoming the athletes and officials.

National Stadium, Beijing.
National Stadium, Beijing

Beijing National Stadium

Beijing's National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, is a unique, world class and innovative building in its design and appearance. The designers from Swiss group Herzog and De Meuron, Arup Sport and China Architecture Design and Research Group, appear to have been inspired by nature when thinking about the stadium. The design allows free flow of air around the stadium as well as protection from the wind and rain as needed.

The stadium had a capacity of 91,000 people during the Olympic competition, where the main track and field events were held. The Olympic Opening and Closing ceremonies also took place in the Beijing National Stadium. Restaurants, shops, cinemas, a health club and restrooms are all part of the stadium's design.

110,000 tonnes of 110 mm thick plate steel has been fitted together in such a way that the stadium is said to withstand earthquakes and be the world's largest enclosed space.

Water Cube, Beijing, China.
National Aquatics Center

National Aquatics Center

The National Aquatics Center in the Olympic Park, Beijing near to the National Stadium opened in 2008 and is a state-of-the art Olympic swimming pool.

Nick-named the "Water Cube" - the venue has a permanent capacity of 6,000, which can be raised to 11,000 for special events.

The outside of the building is coated with ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene), a kind of tough plastic which gives the impression of giant soap bubbles. The Allianz Arena, a football stadium in Munich also used this concept on its exterior surface.

The design competition was won by PTW Architects from Australia in partnership with engineering giants Arup, and China State Construction Design International (CCDI) and Arup. Construction work began on the massive rectangular, energy efficient structure in 2003.

The heating, cooling and ventilation systems in the building are state-of-the art to save energy and maintain a pleasant interior environment.

Medals Table

Host nation China topped the 2008 Olympics medals table followed by the USA, Russia and Great Britain.

China won a total of 100 medals, the USA 110 medals, Russia 72 and Team GB 47.

National Tennis Center

The Olympic Green Tennis Court (now the National Tennis Center) is located on the south side of the Fifth Ring Road in Beijing. The stadium's design resembles a lotus flower from a distance. The petals of this flower form the roof and provide shade against the elements and allow natural ventilation to reach the 10 competition courts.

The Olympic Green Tennis Court has an area of 26,514 square meters and can accommodate 17,400 spectators. The steep sides of the seating allow spectators the best possible sight lines.

National Stadium.
Beijing Olympic Venues

Olympic Venues

On July 13th, 2001, Beijing, the capital of China, won the bid to host the 29th Olympic Games. The 2008 Beijing Olympics had 28 sports, of which 26 were held in Beijing. For this grand event, the city had 31 Olympic venues, 11 new ones, 11 reconstructed venues and nine temporary ones. The scale and speed of construction of both venues and urban infrastructure, was unprecedented. The city received the mother of all facelifts.

Beijing Olympic mascots - Fuwa.
Mascots of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

Olympic Mascots

The Olympic Fuwa are the official mascots of the Olympic Games. The colour of the mascots link to the colour of the Olympic rings. The mascots represent peace and good wishes to all who visit Beijing for the Olympic Games.

The five cheerful characters resemble four animals from China as well as the fire from the Olympic flame. Their names are Beibei, the blue fish, Jingjing the black panda, Huanhuan the red Olympic flame, Yingying the orange Tibetan antelope and Nini the green swallow. When the first syllable of each name is put together you get Beijing huan ying ni which means 'Beijing welcomes you'.

Green Beijing Olympics, China 2008.
© Russell Uebergang

Beijing Olympics 2008 Images

See a selection of great photographs from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Find images of the competitors, the Olympic Torch relay, the venues and volunteers.

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